9 Sex Tips You’ll Actually Try

When it comes to sex, there is such a thing as feeling too comfortable.

“Shaking things up a bit can add excitement and spontaneity,” says Ellen Barnard, a sex educator and owner of A Woman’s Touch, a Madison, Wisconsin–based sexuality and education center.

The key words there: “a bit.” Experts agree that you don’t need to try (or buy) anything extreme to achieve a big boost in novelty and pleasure. Test one or more of these moves out tonight and see for yourself.

Done with the main event? Now’s the perfect time to return to some foreplay favorites, says sex educator Emily Nagoski.

When your partner is already aroused, she may find that certain moves feel extra-intense, Nagoski explains.

Not only that, but if you’ve always been curious about trying something new, like, say a type of toy, after intercourse can be a great time to engage because you both may be less inhibited. Plus, there’s no pressure on the trick to actually work. You’re just having fun for fun’s sake.

The feeling of the breeze on your bare skin and the ever-so-slight possibility that the neighbors might hear your moans can be incredibly arousing, says Harlan Cohen, author of Getting Naked.

Or, if you’re feeling even more daring, instigate a makeout session in your backyard as it gets dark. Even though it’s remote, the fear you could get caught produces an adrenaline rush that adds a layer of excitement and urgency to the encounter.

The scalp contains tons of nerve endings—that’s why that mini-scalp massage when you get your hair cut always feels so good.

Even though the touch is G-rated, the skin-on-skin contact can trigger a flow of bonding hormones like oxytocin that can make you both feel more connected, explains Ian Kerner, author of She Comes First.

Start with making out high-school style and then amp up the action by having her straddle your knee. Here, you can rock back and forth while you’re kissing, which provides direct stimulation to her clitoris, says Emily Morse, a sex expert and host of the podcast Sex With Emily.

Experts agree that plain old ice cubes can make any encounter extremely hot. Not only does the chill of the ice stimulate the same part of the nervous system that’s responsible for arousal, but the sensation jolts your brain away from work and into the here-and-now.

Try running one along her hips and up her thighs, or ask her to do the same to you, suggests Barnard. (Eat your way to better sex with these foods.)

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Lube up

Women who used a water- or silicone-based lubricant rated sexual pleasure and satisfaction higher than when they had intercourse without a lubricant, according to a recent Indiana University study of nearly 2,500 women.

To avoid interrupting the action, have lube on the bedside table or in a convenient drawer. Then, help her apply it sensually during foreplay, suggests Barnard. (Check out this Almost Naked Organic Personal Lubricant from the Men’s Health store.)

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Relive your finest moments

Fantasy sharing sounds great in theory, but in practice it can be complicated—does your wife really know what you and Margot Robbie would do together? (And do you really want to hear what she’d do with George Clooney?)

Instead, share the fantasies that star her. Start by giving the play-by-play of some of the exceptionally hot moments you’ve had together over the years. You’ve had them before, so who says you can’t have them again? (Keep it up with these 3 Ways to Fall Back In Love.)

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Try a new move

Kama Sutra–inspired coupling may seem exciting, but if you’re looking for pure pleasure, the deceptively simple Coital Alignment Technique (also known as CAT) may be all you need.

In the past two decades, studies have found that this technique consistently leads to female orgasm, even for women who have reported difficulty achieving orgasm from penetration in the past, says Debby Herbenick, Ph.D., research scientist at Indiana University and author of Sex Made Easy.

To do it: Start in missionary, but move downward during the thrust as she moves upward. The point is to achieve maximum clitoral stimulation, so you might have to experiment a bit until the position of your penis gives her the most pleasure.

One way to do that is to get rid of as many distractions as possible. For some couples, that’s renting a hotel room in town for an evening. For others, it’s simply spending the night (or a Saturday morning while kids are at soccer practice) in the guest room. Not seeing evidence of your everyday lives can make it easier to totally let loose.

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